Father of the Bride
by JeffC FTW
Summary: With his daughter's extravagant wedding arriving, Sasuke Uchiha is reluctant to let her go, being a typical father who is extremely anxious about forever losing his little girl.
1. The Engagement

**My father passed on in July, and you could say this story is a reflection of what will never happen. :'( Meaning he will never be there IF I decide to get married. **

**Anyhoo, here we have a father who struggles over losing his daughter - and then comes the planning of an over-the-top wedding which drives him crazy. This short story is composed of only a few chapters, with no need for anything insane and elaborate, and is consisted of both "Father of the Bride" movies (the ones starring Steve Martin, though the originals with Spencer Tracey have also been great) and they have since been a part of my childhood. My grandma is to thank for them. :'D**

**I own neither Naruto or Father of the Bride. **

Chapter One

The Engagement

I always thought a wedding was a simple affair: boy and girl meet, they fall in love. He buys her a ring, she buys a dress, and they say "I do".

I was wrong. What I have just described was "getting married". A _wedding_, on the other hand, was an entirely different proposition. I know because I, Sasuke Uchiha, have just been through one. Not my own; my _daughter's._

Sarada Uchiha-Uzumaki. And that was her married name: _Uzumaki_.

I'll be honest with you when I say that when I bought this house eighteen years ago, it cost LESS than this event did. I'm told that I will look back one day on this with great affection and nostalgia. I truly hope so.

You fathers will understand this: you have a little girl. An adorable little girl who looks up to you in ways you could never imagine. She leans her head against your chest, says you're her hero, and you hold her tiny hand in your big palm. The world is at your feet, just as it had been when you married her mother.

But then, time seems to go by too quickly when the next thing you know is that she's getting her ears pierced, starts wearing funky jewelry and revealing clothing, wants you to drop her a block away from the movie theater. And that's not the worst of it; eventually, she's wearing eye shadow and high heels, and from that moment on, you're in a constant state of panic. Especially when you worry about her going out with the wrong kind of guy - the kind who wants only one thing, and you know what that one thing is because it's the same thing you wanted when you were their age.

But then, you quit worrying about her meeting the wrong kind of guy, because the _right_ kind of guy brings the greatest fear of all: you lose her.

And before you know it, you're sitting all alone in a big house full of memories, good and bad. You wonder what the hell happened with your life.

It was just...eight months ago that it happened, when the storm itself broke, and winter was coming to an end.

~o~

My elder brother and I both ran the Konoha General Hospital gift shop. We helped visitors with loved ones who were patients find what they were looking for, or anything close enough, and it was peaceful and comforting. This was the opposite of what our late father had wanted for us.

If you were wondering, Fugaku Uchiha was one of the hospital's board members, and one of the best, before he was killed out of spite and jealousy. For a long time, our mother raised us alone, and for a while, it was hard, but we survived. He left us a LOT equally, making sure his wife and sons were taken care of. Itachi and I could have done something better because of what Dad was and expected of us, but it was a choice of our own.

All I had cared about was being close to Sakura, my childhood friend who was now my wife. And Itachi chose not to go with what had been set for him, which was a place with the board like our father. Fugaku would have turned in his grave if he knew of this, but it wasn't like we should care. We were grown men who could do anything we wanted now.

Besides the gift shop, my brother and I also were agents in life insurance, especially for those in hospital who were threatened into epiphanies, therefore causing them to make these decisions which were once so minor. You could NEVER leave your loved ones with nothing when you were gone, not even your personal debts - though the last one couldn't always be helped.

Anyway, I married Sakura fresh out of high school, and she went on to nursing school, and halfway through, she gave birth to our daughter - our only child, Sarada. Mom taught my brother and me that love was the greatest value than materialism and status, despite the fact the Uchiha descended from samurai in the Edo period.

She was one of the best nurses, my wife. And here in Japan, most women would often give up their careers after they married and had children; I thought of that as an ego matter regarding the men who became their husbands. Though, today, the marriage rates were declining for the career and financial reasons, and it also meant divorce rates were on the high.

Not us - not in one thousand years. We've made it work after twenty-three years.

I will never forget our wedding day: both of us in the hospital chapel, witnessed by our few friends, Itachi and his girlfriend Izumi - who was later killed in a gang attack, just before Sarada was born - as well as Mom. I'll never forget my new wife in her white dress, though I don't really remember its design other than it gracing every inch of her body, but I'll always remember she had the earrings she continued to wear today, which were the blossoms she was named after in mother-of-pearl, and her hair covered by a short veil woven through with pearls.

Not a lot of things I notice about women's fashion, but if it were a truly special moment, then some of the smallest details were worth everything.

When our daughter was born, my world changed in ways I couldn't even explain. She was mine to protect. Itachi doted on her and spoiled her maybe more than I did. And her grandma Mikoto loved her so much she never said no to anything...until she died when Sarada was not yet thirteen.

Time just flew by so quickly. I didn't realize my little girl had really grown up so fast even when she graduated high school and was going to college for architecture.

She was in her final year, being up in Kyoto for her studies along with a few of her friends, but now she was coming back home for a visit. She hadn't seen us since the end of the old year. The plum blossoms would soon be in bloom, too.

Today, I was very anxious about my daughter's arrival. Itachi had been "sick" today - and also had to handle some phone calls with some clients for insurance - so I had a plate full as it was. But it lessened because of his stand-in, who was none other than Kabuto Yakushi, a med student who part-time worked here. Sometimes we don't get along, just because he sometimes hits on my wife, despite being innocent and that Sakura would never cheat on me. And the fact there was a real age gap between them.

Sakura then came by the shop just as her daytime shift was over, and her eyes were alight with joy. She said the very words that made me drop the pen and clipboard of the next shipment of gifts.

"Sasuke, she's _landed!_"

I wasted no time leaving with her. We had to hurry up if we wanted to get dinner AND Sarada's present ready before she came home, though Itachi had assured us both that he was our backup in case we ended up being late. Just like my big brother to save our skins.

I've always been a concerned parent, so a part of me hoped our girl made it all right off the plane. Last thing we needed was her being taken from us before she could live life to the fullest. Which is also why I've always been sharp with the curfews, bedtimes, warning about running around with sharp objects, and making sure the car seat is fastened. But what can I say? Being a father means worrying comes with a territory.

We all live in Konoha, on a large island not far away from Japan's mainland, and in a small town. Sakura and I were born and grew up here, we still have friends here, and it's the kind of town you'd want to live in for the rest of your life, where people still smile at each other, and very few ever leave for good. Very few things changed here besides technology, so it fits anyone like a glove - including a guy like me.

And as for our house: it was a two-story blend of modern western and traditional Japanese. There isn't a lot on how to explain it, since it's complete with a zen garden that stretched out to the backwoods, a basketball court - Naruto Uzumaki, my best friend, and I used to kick each other's asses when we were boys, and my daughter learned how to play, which was one of the best times we had - as well as a big maple tree where we all carved our names. Sarada was in grade school when her mom and I bought this place. Now it was where she could come home after college.

I NEVER want to move from this house if I have anything to say about it.

Here, Sarada learned to ride her bike, slept in the backyard with her Uncle Itachi and me, and carved her name in the tree with us. It's cool in summer, warm in winter, and looks spectacular with Christmas lights.

The best things I love most about this house are the voices I hear when I walk through the door, but this time one is with me, and the third waits for us.

~o~

Itachi had picked Sarada up, sparing her the trouble of calling a cab. Though she was still unpacking by the time Sakura and I returned home, we hurried upstairs before she noticed we were back; thank my brother once again for playing along and swearing he would keep up the surprise while we got ready and then snuck downstairs.

When we were both ready, I was in just a white dress shirt and dark jeans while my wife was in a blushing shift patterned at the end with cranes and greenery. That she'd had for YEARS and refused to part with.

We both heard the commotion and voices downstairs, and I think our hearts jolted at the same time. Itachi and _our daughter_ were working in the kitchen together while waiting for us, so this prompted me to take Sakura's hand into mine - and it was then that I felt both of those rings that I gave her a long time ago. Well, one, and the other was a big gift for our ten-year vow renewal. Simple ebony band because it was right after high school, and the trio of emeralds was what I always knew had been for her. It was a perfect symbol of love.

And just like that, Itachi was in the kitchen doorway, giving a secret smile of appreciation at us before stepping aside for us to see the surprise waiting for us. I never expected the shocking change, though not a terrible one.

_A headband of red crowning a head of raven hair which reached mid-back._

_Maroon dress which made her into a woman. _

And finally, a face devoid of the large red glasses she used to wear, as our family had a history of bad eyesight, though I've yet to have that issue. Itachi, on the other hand, was sporting a pair if smaller and narrow.

It was so hard to believe that this was Sarada, my daughter.

"Hi, Dad!" She looked so lit up that she pranced over and threw her arms around my shoulders, and the dam was released. I had never been so happy to see her; tomorrow, we were going to do something as a family to celebrate, maybe get together with Naruto and his family, since their son had also come back from Kyoto.

"If she's this fired up, you two should go up there to Kyoto sometime," Itachi noted as he was bringing in the _onigiri _to the table. This made Sarada beam again.

"Uncle's right; it's the most romantic place in the world! Should be a second honeymoon for you, Mom and Dad."

Second honeymoon didn't seem like a bad idea. We looked forward to hearing about her adventures at the dinner table, but first, we gave her the gift: a delicate necklace featuring a small white druzy crystal sided with pearls and moonstones. Her eyes sparkled, and she embraced us both, and that was when I inhaled the smell from her skin which I didn't recall being from either of us. She must have gotten it in Kyoto as a gift or on her own, but I admitted it was light and bold, with musk and woods, along with raspberries and - I couldn't figure out what else.

"Hibiscus extract," Sarada finished, sniffing her own wrist since she loved it that much, making us all laugh.

At the dinner table, everything tasted so much better than usual because Sarada was home, and it came to suggestions about what to do as a celebration before she returned after cherry blossom viewing was over. That included said festival on the list, the not-so-busy plum event coming up, as well as seeing their basketball team play against Kiri - who were rough and vicious when it came to competition - but it turned out that she seemed so distracted when she hummed and affirmed.

"Honey, is there something going on?" Sakura asked after a sip of wine.

"Well...yeah. But it's nothing life-threatening; it's just something hard to tell parents. It's about...Boruto. You know how we've been friends for a long time, we had our moments, and he's really grown up if being such an idiot sometimes, but while we were in Kyoto with all of our friends, we've gotten to be..." She swallowed and blushed a little. "...closer than as just friends."

I did NOT like where she was going with this, now thinking I needed another drink, but it would have to wait until after this. Itachi looked my way and was giving me the warning look, but this was _my _daughter, not his. My wife was gob smacked if not judgmental.

"Mom, Dad, Uncle...I'm getting married!"

~o~

I had always been concerned especially about my daughter's friendship with Boruto Uzumaki, since the kid was worse than his father with his attitude. Too laidback for anyone's taste, and Sakura had to remind me that there was nothing wrong with wanting to be yourself, and if Sarada had a problem, she'd deal with it. How could I not trust either of my girls with their word?

But this time...it was different.

"I'm ENGAGED!" The words were followed by a small scream of excitement, and her uncle was more than happy for her, telling her congratulations and that he trusted her choice in men, while her mother said this was so much to take in, before asking if _that _was her engagement ring. "Oh, yeah, Mom, he got it in a flea market, and the man who sold it said it was very old, since the sixties."

In spite of my dismay, I found myself looking at that thing, seeing that it was crafted to look like a calla lily. It looked so natural it could be a real one, featuring a tear-shaped ruby within platinum, enhanced by tiny blinking diamonds. But despite its brilliance - and knowing it was everything exuding my daughter - I was looking at her again, but this time, I didn't see the woman with long hair and devoid of glasses, but the _little girl _with the short mane and those big spectacles as she repeated the words.

_"Dad, Boruto is wonderful, brilliant, and we're getting married."_

"This is _ridiculous. _You're too young to get married!"

Why had her return home brought this so-called news - and involving _Boruto Uzumaki _of all people?! I heard he was a genius with computers and communications, being independent from the big guns, and his parents were always talking about how proud they were of him. Not that I didn't believe them, but this...!

"Too young?" Sarada sputtered. "Dad, I'm twenty-two; Mom was much younger."

But the damned times had changed! And I had thought she didn't believe in love and marriage, that it was when a woman sacrificed her identity - which was my worries in these times for her, especially since she should be having a job and being her own person first - and she answered she didn't, until Boruto. And they'd agreed that she didn't have to give anything up for him.

"And he's brilliant, just like you, Dad. He loves I want to be an architect. It also means I can design a house for us to live in!"

It was out of the question. It didn't matter that the miniature loser - loser being an old nickname I had for Naruto when we were kids - had a stable job while going to school, nor did it matter he was letting his girlfriend be who she was. If I had anything to say about it, she was NOT getting married to Boruto Uzumaki.

Angrily, Sarada snapped to her feet. "Daddy, what is _wrong_ with you?!" She then turned and stomped her way out of there. I was dumbstruck in that moment.

She had always looked up to me, appreciated me - for the most part - but this time was different. She chose my best idiot's son over ME, and now my brother and wife were looking at me no differently. "Itachi -"

"Mm-nh, you started it, you fix this mess, idiot little brother," Itachi said, clicking his tongue and shaking his head. "I'm going to get more sake ready since we will all need it. Then I am gonna call the Uzumaki residence myself so we can all have a family gathering for this..."

I could hardly believe that my own brother would take that step when I was the man of this house, never mind he was the eldest, and my wife was no better. "Sasuke Uchiha, would you stop being such a lunatic father, go talk to your daughter before she runs off with that kid and we never see her again?!"

Everyone was against me, and when I thought about Sarada's tear-filled, furious eyes, I had never felt so crestfallen. All I ever wanted was for her to be happy, and I was being forced to accept she could make her own choices, never mind that I still saw her as the little girl with glasses.

~o~

I had no choice but to do what everyone wanted me to, if I didn't want Sarada to hate me. I had to let her be with him, if she loved him so much. I had to learn to live with it...but I really had no idea how to deal with the next eight months that were coming with discussing the wedding plans.

Boruto Uzumaki - spiky blond hair like his father, having whiskers on his cheeks kind of like a fox, and having blue eyes brighter than Naruto's which was something I NEVER thought I would say - had really grown up, and I appreciated that he had a good sense of humor, too. As for his profession, he would be sent across the world to hook up all these coming-of-age computers in Tokyo, in China, and other places. Like my daughter said, he was a natural genius.

He and Sarada told us about what led to the way they were now: the inns they stayed at, the authentic cuisines, the kabuki plays, and a midnight showing of the 1951 classic _Genji Monogatari _\- inspired by one of the greatest love stories of our country and throughout the world. That was what led them to getting close...

"Uncle Sasuke -" The title he called me since he was a boy, given his father and I were like brothers. "- I tried putting myself in your shoes. Your daughter comes home when you haven't seen her in a long time, and she shocks you with the news we're getting married. And to someone you're not a big fan of. But I'm not that boy you remember - much. I can't wait to marry her one day, and I'm doing my best to support her dreams. I didn't think I'd have a girl like her."

While that was a great reassurance, I knew my day had passed. She'd always love me, of course, but not in the same way. I was no longer the man in my little girl's life. Kind of like a clothing line which everyone got excited about only for it to discontinue after some time. This was the start of wondering where my life was going now. I had only one child, so there you go.

My new title: father of the bride. But while my wife was over the moon excited, my brother more than ready to put in his share since this was a family event - celebrating it with the newlyweds on the day that would come - and so were Naruto and Hinata, along with their daughter Himawari who was in high school, I was probably secretly the least bit excited.

The sooner you let your kids go, all you could do was hope you brought them up just right.

Eventually, we managed to work out some details before the kids would go back to Kyoto to finish their studies - but we could keep in touch on the phone, emails and such - and Sarada wanted a traditional wedding, being with family and friends in the local Shinto temple, even though these kinds of ceremonies were declining these days.

Reception: here at home, where else?

The idea got me thinking about ways to save money, when I thought a home reception was a great idea with picnic tables filled with homemade meals, paper lanterns painted by hand, fairy lights, and this being a laidback affair overall.

Except the cold look in Sakura and Itachi's eyes made me sit in my place, and Sarada was on the verge of looking the same way she did that night. I had to say to myself just this: _great going again, Sasuke. Now she's going to be looking at wedding gowns at a bargain in magazines._

From then on, I decided to just keep my mouth shut on everything. If Sarada wanted the wedding of her dreams, I was more than willing to give it to her.

**Yeppers, Sarada and Boruto - with overprotective Papa Sasuke losing his shit. XD And the fact Boruto is mature, to an extent. The show itself I am watching at the present is really good, and a lot of people are too hard with comparing it to its predecessors. I mean, the times have CHANGED, with no new war on the way just yet. (Watching English dubbed, not aware of what is present in the Japanese version)**

**Reviews in lots o lovin detail are appreciated. :D**


	2. The Wedding

**(Update 07/08/2020): I finally took into consideration after a year of this story being up that the cost of the wedding was the price of two houses. XD So here is the fix.**

**Accept my apologies for keeping you all waiting. I was doing more of "An Offer She Can't Refuse" (two chapters left!), and began a new story which won't be up anytime soon. **

**Thank you so much for the condolences. :) It means the world. As far as coping goes, it's kinda okay - like on and off. **

Chapter Two

The Wedding

We had to hire a wedding coordinator, and our situation happened to be Ino and Sai Yamanaka - two of our friends from childhood. How the hell had we ended up doing something like this, when a long time ago, we had a far different wedding than now?

I had to remind myself that the times had changed, and welcome to the twenty-first century. Which meant prices were going to be so much different than back in my day.

Sakura really got on my ass about being crazy about this planning, and that included cheap things like the homemade meals, the picnic tables and so on. She reminded me again that weddings were a major day, happened every day in EVERY country besides our own; you think I didn't know that?!

And to hire a wedding coordinator - TWO of them who happened to be friends of ours - was going to be so much more than what this house had been years ago. We were going to meet with them both, having Sarada on the video line since she was back in Kyoto. The bride's family did the majority of the planning, which made me wish that it didn't have to be too much like this. Naruto and Hinata were pitching in, but Sakura and I were covering the majority. We weren't impoverished, but we weren't rich, either. And we had seven more months of this...

The first thing we ended up doing, which was Sai's personal favorite, was choosing the _cake._

We ended up choosing the most over-the-top thing ever to be seen, though it exuded every inch of Japanese there was: covered all over with an ombre of red to orange and amber, ending with gold at the top; it was brushed delicately with branches and leaves like woodblock artworks, set with dimensional chrysanthemums and fans coupled with chopsticks. At the top was an accurately detailed temple.

It happened that we also ended up finding so much more after that, but we also still had a guest list to work out. Sarada wanted something sweet and intimate, which involved fairy lights to twinkle all over and give romantic ambience. Other things included clear mercury votives for candles...

"Oh, sweetie, this is beautiful! You should use this for the rings at the altar!" Sakura was holding up this cone made of rosy quartz. Part of me didn't think that was even necessary; I thought back to the heirloom which held our own, once being my parents' and then being lost unfortunately when we moved into the house, and it had been a blushing seashell.

_The cost of this whole affair is going to be well over fifty thousand dollars. _

I had convinced them and myself everything would be all right - but inside, I was paranoid to my core. I had been like this ever since Sarada told us she was getting married.

I saw my own stoned expression in the reflection of the fine dishware we were presented with: rose gold with intricate details, imported from China.

Some days later, I was back at work, relieved to not be talking about the wedding, only for the mercy to be short-lived and receiving the call for the total sum of the nuptials: fifty-five about in total for EVERYTHING. Including the flowers, honeymoon limo, to every single guest - including US - to entertain both at the church and our own home!

What was a minor saving grace was that we weren't having almost a hundred people or even over, which meant no cutting guests off the list.

Eventually, I had to pull out my old tux set which had been from me and Sakura's wedding day, which I could wear to our daughter's - but it wasn't what it used to be, it seemed. Ended up ripping in the back as well as in a couple seamed places...which also included the back of my pants. My face turned so red that I wanted to just crawl under the sofa, or somewhere, and die of shame.

What made things worse: Ino and Sai's crew arrived to finalize all the wedding details when they came to our house. To see them rearrange all our furniture, handle the auditions of band singers, discuss what would be on the menu - including our country's finest down to every last _wagashi_ which was usually during tea ceremonies - and even where all our guests would be parked, I felt like the out-of-body experience was getting to me.

Ultimately, it wasn't my wife to get on my tail this time, but my big brother. I was about to leave the house for awhile to get my mind off this wedding business, making the excuse of picking up something for dinner, when Itachi intruded and said he was getting us both a drink afterwards, and we were gonna have a serious talk.

"Sakura would bluntly tell you how NUTS you are, little brother. I've been calling you foolish over every little mistake since you were a boy, and sometimes when I thought you grew out of this, I was proven wrong." I was about to down the first glass of beer when he held up his finger to stop me. "Ah, ah, you are not buzzing out until you hear me first. You have been more than your wife and I could handle, and you're incredibly lucky your daughter hasn't really turned on you since you objected the first time. This is a _wedding_, for pity's sake. It's not a conspiracy against you, but something that happens every day in EVERY country. I know we never had anything expensive and over-the-top, but that doesn't mean we can't handle an _elaborate_ wedding. I'll not bend you over my lap like Mother used to do, on the condition you agree to the following."

And this following I was forced to say if I wanted to get back to the house: _I, Sasuke Uchiha, promise to pull it together and act my age. I promise to stop hyperventilating and rolling my eyes, unbuttoning my top collar button, and I promise to stop complaining about how much this wedding is costing. I will try to remember my daughter's feelings, and every time I roll my eyes, I'm taking away a piece of her happiness. _

And in addition to my brother paying for the drinks AND the dinner, I had to treat all four of us to a game of basketball in the courtyard - including Boruto who came by, and his parents as well as his sister joined to watch us.

~o~

Both Itachi and I got our new tuxes together at the same place, though mine had a bluish hint kind of like my hair.

The gifts just kept coming in and coming in, besides the dishes we all paid for from the Yamanaka services. Friends and coworkers were really pitching in, and I never thought things would end up feeling so good, after all. I have to admit I ended up being in a far more pleasant mood than I can remember, maybe because this was summer, with three months left until the big day.

However, the excitement was short-lived when Sarada came back home one day from the office, and her eyes were red and shiny, which told me right away that something was very wrong.

"Send it all back."

"...what?" Itachi was the one to speak the words for me when I had just intended to. He was putting down the brand new _hibachi _tea set just as she burst into tears and reached to rub her eyes.

"Uncle, Daddy, I'm not kidding. Send it all back. The wedding is off!"

_The wedding is off. _

I would be joking myself if I didn't hear that right, and what made it feel worse was when I looked into my daughter's eyes and saw that it was genuine, which made me angry and wonder what the hell brought this on. But I was going to sit down with her and ask her about it before Itachi and I would take care of this. After all, weddings got cancelled every day as much as they really took place.

"I feel so awful after everything you guys have done," Sarada said, sniffling and leaning into me first, while my brother was right behind her and rubbing her back in small circles.

I had to ask if it ended up being another girl, because if it WAS, then I planned on killing that boy regardless if he were my best friend's kid. Or better yet: have Naruto deal with his son himself. But it turned out to not be the case.

"No, Dad, it was nothing like that. He gave me...a present." And then she went up to her room, coming back with the white box bearing said gift, stating it was for their future apartment until they got a real house after they were married. Itachi took it out himself, but he wasn't affected much, and neither was I. Because the thing was only a _blender_ \- and then it dawned on me even before Sarada picked up.

Boruto got her a blender for their apartment, and she took it to mean the same thing as "giving the little wife something for the house", taking me back to the old school. I ended up scowling as this was contrary to everything that boy promised her. "It scared me in terms of his expectations," she said hoarsely. "I freaked out, he asked me what was wrong, and I asked him what the hell a gift like this was supposed to tell me, he said nothing, but I didn't believe him - and we had this big fight. He said I was overreacting. Then, he tells me I'm no different than you, Dad: that I'M the one with expectations - too many of them. He said he was doing everything he could to make me happy, that he was trying to show it to you, and me _overreacting _is no different than the way you used to see him as a kid. Says he might not be good enough no matter what he does!"

I had never been so speechless, not since she first announced the engagement. Because this was the first time Boruto acknowledged what I thought of him - what I _used_ to think of him. Part of me felt guilty, but I didn't say anything and chose this opportunity to try and smooth things out before everything became official.

I decided to have a man to man talk with the kid, and so I took him out to the local tavern so he could tell me HIS side of the story.

"You know those fruit shakes she likes to make? That's why I thought she'd like a blender." I've never seen him in such a wreck before, because his eyes were red, too, though no signs of what my daughter had in the waterworks department. "I mean, I get where she's coming from in terms of old-fashioned sexual politics, but it NEVER entered my brain at the time, Uncle Sasuke."

Still calling me what he always had, and looking into his weepy eyes, I found myself unable to truly get rid of him. I ended up telling him I would talk to Sarada first, even adding that the Uchiha were passionate people, even her, and passionate people overreacted all the time. And Naruto Uzumaki did that a lot when we were younger, though not as much now. "And Boruto, you don't have to worry about how I think of you. That kid you were is gone, and I know damned well that no one in this world is perfect, yet it's still trying to be reached. You and my daughter are made for each other."

Saying those words hit me with the impact of a towing truck, and how true they were.

Turns out that everything I said to my future son-in-law worked like a fitting glove, and the wedding was back on. Sarada accepted that the gift was just something to put in the kitchen and had nothing to do with how he felt about her. I stood by and watched as she and Boruto made up, with my brother and wife looking at me with the same expression of silent appraisal.

~o~

So, we made it to the middle of autumn, and it was abundant with every warm, fiery color there was, though the day before the big day, it chanced a possible rainstorm if not like the ones towards the end of summer. But we were too busy to notice, and worked to get the house perfect - which meant I finally was seeing the flowers in their setup around the windows, and I thought they were absolutely stunning.

I was rendered speechless by flowers of all things; who could blame? There were red hydrangeas, hypericum berries, orchids and roses, hot pink oriental lilies as well as green ivy and lemon leaves. Inside what would be the tented reception, these flowers would appear in modern cylindrical white vases. The fairy lights would dominate the roof of the tent and posts, creating the surroundings as an enchanted garden in autumn.

Everything had happened so fast, and as I lay in bed beside Sakura that night, I was too restless to sleep. My brain was consumed with the memories, and it just made my heart ache all the more as I knew that it would soon just be me, my brother and my wife:

Sarada as a baby, toothless and purely happy, with tufts of black hair and the most innocent eyes ever.

Sarada at six years old and on her first day of heading off to school, in a coral sweater and plaid skirt, hair short and wearing her first pair of glasses. And her Uncle Itachi took that picture for us.

Sarada learning to ride her bike at age nine, then beat me and Uncle Naruto in the courtyard. Always excelling at her studies and first in class, making some admiring of her and others jealous.

Maybe what was painful was when she stood at the top of the staircase in her maroon graduation gown, excited to go to college and start her big dream...leading to when she came home from Kyoto and then announced her first marriage to her first boyfriend, who happened to be someone she'd known all her life.

It was then that I heard the familiar sound of a basketball bouncing outside, and it was none other than Sarada. She looked kind of...sad, since this was her last night with her family. I went out there, and she told me that she knew she would end up leaving one day. Now that it was happening, she didn't WANT to go. Just as it had been for me when I got the news that changed everything.

"That's the thing about life: the little things come up and sneak on you, grab hold of you. Still happens to me."

I ended up being embraced by her, and I placed a kiss on her brow like there was no tomorrow. This was my little girl, even if tomorrow was the last day I would hold her like this. It was one of the moments I was going to remember for the rest of my life.

~o~

The rain left a considerable amount of wetness, but nothing damaging except a few flowers and leaves here and there. But we had it cleared up in no time at all, and here I was in my dark blue tux while I was scrambling to make sure everything was in order before we would all go to the church. But ugh, where the heck was the limo which was going to take us?!

Ino started cursing herself and rushed to get a hold of them, while her husband was busy making sure the cake was refrigerated until its time, and same with catering all the food until the services were over. Meanwhile, I heard a familiar voice which made my heart skip a beat.

"Dear, don't worry; everything will be just fine. At least you know they won't start without us."

Sakura stood there at the top of the stairs, and my breath was taken away when I saw her. The dress almost made her look like she was naked, except she wasn't; the earthly gemstones gave the appearance of vines crawling over her body. She didn't have to look THAT beautiful; it wasn't fair to the bride. However, that didn't stop me from thinking that she was even more beautiful now than she was back then.

Itachi came down now, and right behind him was the bride herself...and I let loose the manliest of tears I could ever recall releasing in my life.

Sleek white - kimono-like sleeves fluttering and trimmed with elegant lace - was embroidered lavishly with flowers not much different than the arrangements set up. Her hair was in a sweet, elegant bun high behind her head, ringed with soft white flowers, pearls and crystals. Finally, in her ears were little medallions etched with clusters of rose-cut diamonds. For a moment, I thought I still saw my baby girl as she had been...before the image was replaced with what was really in front of me.

It was time to drive her down to that church to marry her man.

The church was arranged with the same flowers from there and back, and the final result was all the more spectacular than the sum of its parts. Except, if you asked me, my daughter was the one beautiful thing out of it all. I watched as the bridal party and the groom's men each walked in pairs, with the girls all in burgundy red: Chocho Akimichi - Sarada's real best friend - with Shikadai Nara. Then Inojin Yamanaka, Ino and Sai's son, with Sumire Kakei, ending with Iwabe Yuino paired with Wasabi Izuno, and Denki Kaminarimon with Namida Suzumeno.

Ultimately, Sakura and Itachi together went ahead...which left me with the moment I had been _dreading _for the past eight months - no, past _twenty-two years._

Who gives this woman away - _woman_, you ask? No, I wanted to say she was still a KID. But it was suppressed, as always. As I took a seat beside my wife, all I could think about was the fact she was leaving, that I would never again come home and see Sarada at the top of the stairs. Never again at the breakfast table in her nightgown and socks.

Sarada _was_ all grown up, and something inside hurt as the vows were taken between her and Boruto.

~o~

She was now gone.

My Sarada was gone.

The reception went by without a hitch, and while it was fun, I felt like I needed more than I usually drank, but refrained myself. Sakura would no doubt rip off a certain part of me if I so much as went far and broke the promise I made to her and Itachi.

Here we were now, with the flowers and party details still laying strewn about. Tomorrow, we would have everything cleared out. Itachi had a friend in the flowering business to come and take the flora to be recycled, given to someone else who had a great use of them. Which was far better than letting them go to waste.

Everyone at the party enjoyed the food and the flowers and all, and congratulated the bride and groom, too. But it all ended with what I had wanted to go to the room I shared with Sakura and sob over, forget my pride altogether now that it was all over.

I got to kiss the bride before she and her new husband would go off on their honeymoon. _And _I said goodbye to Boruto, my son-in-law, and told him to take good care of her or else. He blushed tomato red and agreed without a stutter.

The bridal pair were going off to Hokkaido - home to every outdoor activity for nature lovers. And since this was fall, they were in for a treat with majestic mountain ranges bearing the views of trees and falling leaves in every warm palette. Natural hot springs and the best bath houses. Best seafood and wine there was. All to make competition jealous.

Now that the last guest was gone, my wife, brother and I surveyed the damage. Never thought I would say how funny it was how suddenly a house could get empty like this.

"Well, I'll get Konan on the phone in the morning," Itachi announced, standing from a love chair and stretching before popping his bones. He then made his way up the stairs. "You lovebirds enjoy your first night with each other."

_Each other... _Had been a hell of a while, since our daughter came home just to finish college and then plan the wedding with us. Now we had each other - and my brother upstairs. Meant we had to steal more time for each other now, and had to make sure Itachi wasn't around when we did.

I was all too happy to ask my wife of two decades, my lifelong partner, for a dance to the song which had been played at our own wedding's first moment as husband and wife.

Sakura and I waltzed before the doorway which was still draped with red flora and twinkling lights, like something straight out of a storybook.

**After a long wait and reading this over, I was in tears and needed a glass of wine. Both at Sasuke's feelings of letting his little girl go, and knowing my dad won't be here IF I get married. I mean, I had a hard time dealing with him as he wouldn't get the help for PTSD (the army and the war in Iraq really killed him a long time ago), so I avoided him much of the time as a result of emotional blows. I felt we never really patched it up, despite being with him to the end in the hospital. **

**On a lighter note: Hokkaido is another popular tourist destination in Japan. Has luxurious flower gardens in summer while not being hot and humid like other parts of the country, pristine snow scenery in below zero environments, and spectacular fall settings. **

**That said, please leave loving reviews. :'( There's one more chapter left in this great, sweet and short tale. **


	3. The Delivery

**Took long again because I started writing my brand new story which won't be up for a while longer, and I'm happy to be on a roll with it. :) It's a western romance, will be called "An Outlawed Romance". Itachi and an OC of mine (who really belongs to my best friend) - if anyone is interested. **

**I also upped the rating of this story because of what transpires in here, if nothing seriously adult. **

Chapter Three

The Delivery

_They're going to be here at any minute. _

Almost a year had gone by since the wedding of the century - in my mind. It was almost hard to believe that life would ever get back to the way it was. I didn't even think I would start to enjoy it again.

Father of the bride - I never thought I'd say that role was a piece of cake, considering the roller-coaster I had been on in this past year. Took a hell of a while for things to calm down, and that is _exactly_ how I prefer life to be. I still miss my daughter, but now I was considering what a lucky guy I was.

For starters, I have a wonderful home that is filled with memories and completely paid for. I also have a wife that I still love as much as long before the day I married her. A brother who's always looked out for me, and who I looked out for ever since he lost the woman he loved, never had it in himself to find another...but he's got US.

And of course, a daughter who is independent, self-sufficient and married as well as working and happy, along with a son-in-law who is gainfully employed and often out of town on business. Life was _sweet_. I was on top of the world again.

For the first time, I was feeling ahead of the game. I started asking myself: what am I gonna do with all that free time?

And then it dawned on me: _anything I wanted. _

But then, as always in life, just when you got it figured out, life itself pulls you back in place and says "Not so fast, Uchiha!" The boom had been lowered on me again, just like when Sarada dropped the bomb of the proposal.

Little did I know that today would be another day where an unexpected surprise would make the big wedding and my only child leaving tamer now.

~o~

Perfect fall day, and all three of us were on our way back home from work at the hospital: my wife being the successful nurse she was, my brother and I running the gift shop as well as insurance agencies, though Itachi was considering leaving the shop now and settling on the latter himself. Mostly because he was older than I was, and you know that old saying when you weren't getting any younger.

The leaves were golden, red and orange, the air was crisp, and this was the charmed life. I was a totally happy man.

Naruto, Hinata and Himawari were waiting for us at the house already. Himawari had only one more year left in high school before she, too, would be off to college for art. That meant they would soon have the house to themselves, just like us. It meant Naruto and I could start spending more time together again, doing whatever the hell we wanted - but that didn't include disrespecting our women.

However, I couldn't help but wonder what Sarada and Boruto had to say, if they wanted all of us to gather. _I hope it doesn't have to do with work. Because she would often say that she'd one day be transferred someplace - like Tokyo or Osaka. _Nothing was more scarier than that, which meant being far enough away from your family as it was. And where she went, Boruto would go with. We would still see them on vacations and holidays, but it wouldn't be the same...maybe worse than how I felt when we were planning the wedding, and I was getting used to having the house being filled with just me, her mother and uncle.

I wasn't sure if I could handle long distance this way. The lovebirds currently lived a mile away from all of us as it was.

When I brought up the idea of transfer to all of them while we were waiting, Sakura frowned slightly at me as she brought out the sake and tea, the latter being best for Himawari who was still a minor. "Sasuke, I don't know what it is really, but I doubt it has to do with work."

"She always said transfer was possible," Hinata added, smiling as her way of keeping the ease, "but it's nothing to be bothersome. We can all make this work."

"Yeah, jerk, stop worrying so much," Naruto said, slapping my back, which did bring a smile of my own to my face, and at that moment, we heard the sound of a horn being honked. They had arrived.

Itachi was the one to volunteer to answer the door, but I wasn't done yet: I didn't want to hear about either Tokyo or Osaka. First, they'd promise to come over on some weekends, then a week every other summer. Next thing you know, we were all just strangers - names on a holiday card list - and what would be next?

"Bummer man delivers," Sakura said, cracking an awkward grin which didn't reach the others' face, except maybe Hinata. Naruto rolled his eyes, his daughter shaking her head, and my brother scoffing without words as he finally opened the door to let the couple in, and my heart fluttered at the voices - no, _voice_ entering the air - and they were swarmed, but I stayed safely off to the side, just wanting to be saved for last.

There she was: my Sarada. Every time I see her, I remind myself she's a married woman, but really, she still seemed like a kid playing house and being buried in her studies to get smarter.

Her mom asked her if she was all right, and of course she was. "Never looked better," I said for everyone, which brought real smiles.

"Hi, Dad."

Sarada came up to me and threw her arms around me. The world was complete.

"Dad - erm, Uncle Sasuke," Boruto said, blushing and giving me an awkward one-armed embrace I returned, unfazed as long as this _husband_ of my daughter did one thing. Just as long as there was no talk about moving hundreds to thousands of miles away, he could call me anything he wanted. Meanwhile, onward to him calling the man who made him "Dad" and greeting his mother and sister who still worshipped him.

In spite of myself, I was really starting to grow fond of Boruto Uzumaki.

Sakura and Hinata got together to make everyone ramen and stuffed dumplings, but Sarada seemed so nervous that she thought to stall the big news by pointing out how delicious they looked. I decided to take charge and bring up them finally finding a new house instead of their apartment. Anything but another town or city, which seemed to reach Itachi and Sakura's all-too-knowing glances.

"A house - is that the big news?" Himawari asked, wrinkling her nose. "I thought you guys were going to have a baby."

I burst out laughing at this. Seriously, a BABY, when they were still settling into their married life? When things were so good at the present that an addition to the family -

But it seemed everyone else had been expecting this, except me. And as always, I bit my tongue for the majority's sake - especially my daughter and son-in-law...and I continued to bite it and hide behind a forced smile at the confirmation which became a whole new kind of world-changer, perhaps for the worst since the crazy wedding.

"Your wish came true: I'm going to have a BABY!"

~o~

Everyone was screeching happy, gathering around the pair - _soon-to-be new parents _\- and eventually, I rose up from the couch, feeling like I was having another out-of-body experience, this time being different for a new reason.

_My daughter is going to be a _mother.

Boruto looking over at me first with a proud smile and then mild befuddlement didn't change a damned thing about what I was feeling at the moment. When he was a kid, and when he proposed to my daughter, I never really did like him because of the antics he pulled off in childhood. Imagine that my little girl would end up playing house with the likes of him...

"Dad?" Sarada mentioning my title pulled me out of the daydream I had of the suave, slick version of her husband in a traditional _haori_, holding a cup of sake before himself and a cigarette in the other hand. I uttered the word without too much trouble, meaning it and half not.

"Congratulations."

Her love and appreciation was just what I needed, but then came my son-in-law coming up to embrace me, too, and calling me the one word that caused the gears in my head to turn in a terrible way. "Thanks and congratulations...Grandpa."

_GRANDPA?! First, this runt steals my daughter, and now he makes a _grandpa _out of me!_

And later, when Sakura and I were getting ready for bed, she was over the moon once again, talking about the new baby coming into our lives. Saying how it was due by late July, and days after MY birthday. Just like mother and daughter were close together in birthdate, but that was a two-day difference. Plus, this time would be hot weather, though it was like our daughter to not mind such things.

"And Sasuke, can you believe that the same doctor who delivered Sarada from me will also be delivering HER baby?!" She was fighting to not weep so much, and it was too difficult. And despite the little misgivings, I began to think that maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to become grandparents, but I was torn about that because of how _young _we felt that we were - well, more my part.

When Sakura mentioned the doctor who delivered our daughter all those years ago, she referred to none other than old lady Tsunade. She was now at the age of retirement, but she showed no signs of shaking hands or the classic symptoms that came with old age. If I so much as said that to her face, she'd do more than just slam her fists flat on her desk's surface.

_Looks like now, she will have this job for _Sarada's _child. We're all just "one big, happy family", huh?_

"And what if Ino and Sai also did the baby shower for us?"

The second I heard the words "baby shower" - and the mention of Ino and Sai, our friends who ran their own wedding planning business and therefore handled our daughter's - I felt my insides twist and my lips pull into a scowl, which was caught on by my wife who frowned and was ready to get on my tail. She wasted no time demanding what the matter was now.

"Sakura, I had just finished paying for the wedding!" After nearly a year and all of this, in order to make things easy, I had finally been relieved of the burden that was this expensive wedding which had been a fun event, celebrating with the newlyweds until I felt the hollow ache at knowing things wouldn't be the same at home again with her gone. But now...

"Okay, okay, honey, calm down!" She knelt in front of me as I sat down on the left side of the bed - my side - and put both palms on my knees. "It was just a thought. You never said anything at dinner, but you're acting like you're unhappy about the fact we're going to be _grandparents._ Why?"

"For starters: they can't afford a baby. Babies cost money, and the older they get, the more they cost." And because they never really planned it; they hardly even had a NEST for this new egg!

Sakura wrinkled her nose and nodded sarcastically, standing up and turning her back. "Really, Sasuke, they have more money than we did at their age." Clearly, but how the heck would they manage a kid when they were both still kids themselves? Sarada graduated college and married the first guy she was with, even though they basically grew up together, before her career even took off. It was like _I _was the only feminist in this family!

And, as always, my big brother would come in at what he felt was the right time to give his two cents. "You know, I just realized something: I am hardly even fifty, I am considering retiring to give focus on another career we both have, I'm an uncle, and about to be a _great-uncle_," Itachi said, listing everything off like it was not hard to figure out. "That means I have another little one to spoil more than I spoiled its mother - more than you both ever did." He added the last part with a tug of his spectacles to the bridge of his nose and a one-sided smirk. I had to silently call him a traitor for not taking my side _again_.

Itachi always still knew best, no matter what I thought, whereas poor Sakura was in serious denial about this. I, for one, was NOT ready to be a grandfather. Because grandfathers wore hearing aids and glasses, even cardigans and God knows what was old-fashioned. I wore running shoes and the best collared shirts.

In that instant, I thought about doing everything in my power to make myself look younger, kinda like I was back in the day. Such as erasing the lines I was getting to my face.

~o~

No need for cosmetic surgery on my face, since I was given an anti-aging cream that would take time - weeks, maybe - to erase the lines, and my hair was dyed back to its full raven glory, covering up the silver streaks that were there.

When I admired myself in the mirror and smirked at the obvious youth that winked back at me, I knew Sakura would look at the younger man she married years ago. That possibility was increased when a cute brunette driving to my right grinned and waved at me, but it was too bad that she had to see my ring which disappointed her and made her drive off.

It was Saturday, so Sakura and I were both home, but Itachi was gone to meet with some friends of his.

There my wife was at the kitchen, chopping up some vegetables she'd just cleaned. I let my eyes roam over her from the back, unable to get enough of what I was seeing, and that did include her adorable backside which wasn't affected by middle age. I slipped up from behind and began to nibble on her neck, taking her by surprise altogether.

She got a look at the new and improved Sasuke Uchiha - the one she married over twenty years ago. But she didn't seem all that enthused, though I figured it had been from the surprise. It was going to be permanent if she wanted it to be.

Itachi wasn't going to be home for a while, which meant that I had the time to give her the surprise present that I knew was her: this showstopping chemise which was pink to match her hair, the bodice sheer but patterned with an exquisite floral lace, and the silk skirt touching mid-thigh. At first, she protested that there was no way in hell she'd wear this, because she was going to be a grandma.

"Sasuke Uchiha, what possessed you to do all of this?!"

Oh, just wanted to take the years off and feel how I wanted to, which also included making HER feel young again, too. Today was as perfect as any day. A bottle of wine for us both and a lunch to share...ending with an intense make out session before the dishes were done being cleaned.

Dare I mention what we ended up doing in our own kitchen, even when the weather began to turn foul and pour outside?

~o~

Next several months went totally crazy, and I began to adjust to so much - such as the fact I was going to be a grandfather.

One night, we were gathered at the dinner table at home - once again, the Uzumaki clan invited - and it was the first time in weeks that the family had been together since the baby was announced. As usual, the women got together for all of us and fill our stomachs.

At the table, Boruto and Sarada told us they thought of some names for the baby. As a boy, they highly considered Haruto - which meant "sun flying" - and it was a variant spelling of his father's name, so in a sense, he and his wife were going to name their son after Naruto, which made my friend honored and on the verge of tears, which earned a back rub briefly from Hinata who wiped one corner of her eye.

If it were a girl, her name would be Makoto. Similarly to _Mikoto_ \- "Thought Grandma would love it, if she were here," Sarada said, wiping her eyes with her napkin, leaning into her husband for emotional comfort.

Turned out that Sakura started to cry, too, and was unable to stop even as she took a drink of wine. I've noticed she'd been like this in the past several days, being weepy and sometimes moody over the littlest of things. And she told me what might be wrong when it was just the two of us laying in bed, side by side, and I almost couldn't believe it.

"I'm going through menopause, baby."

M-menopause?! And my mom had been through that, so I didn't think my wife who sometimes had a temper enough - especially when she was pregnant with Sarada - would end up suffering that condition! "I have all the symptoms, Sasuke: crying for no reason, getting mad over stupid little things, and to top it off, I'm LATE with my period. It's so obvious I can't believe I never realized it before, and I'm a _nurse_, for God's sake!"

"Sakura, don't be silly; we're still -" I didn't get to finish when she interrupted me with a finger to my lips.

"No, don't say a word. We're not as young as you think. Growing old isn't what it used to be, but it doesn't mean we're springtime chickens like we used to be. I mean, we can still do a lot with what time we have left, but there are limits. That includes what our bodies are naturally doing out of our control. Sasuke, I know it hasn't been easy for you since we were all told about the baby, but I know you well enough to know that it takes a while to get used to a new form of change. That also includes what happens to women at my age." And then she turned her face to me with a serious expression.

"I miss the calm and otherwise adorable Sasuke Uchiha I used to be married to. You dye your hair, you take anti-aging cream, so what is next? A new girlfriend who is our daughter's age?"

Harshly, I gasped at her saying such things, but she wouldn't let me speak my part. "That's what men do when they get older. They don't want to grow old with their wives. Honestly, you got me worried now."

Okay, now this was like the time Sarada and Boruto disagreed over the expectations they "thought" I had, but this was different. I may want to dye my hair again, look close to what I used to, and I may be scared to death about being a grandfather, but not even close to getting a younger woman who wasn't the wife I was still in love with. No way in hell.

I muttered that I was sorry for being such a jerk, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. She laughed and assured me she was used to it.

~o~

Winter came and went, and it was snowball fights as well as holiday stays at the inn for the hot springs.

Spring came, and cherry blossoms flourished. That season was in full-bloom, and so was one of the women in my life, with summer approaching in two months by the time spring was over. It was so hard to believe that the stork was on its way.

Come wisteria blooming, we got right to preparing for two things: the baby's room as well as the shower. This was where I ended up doing the unthinkable in letting my frugal self drop willingly, letting Sai and Ino plan the shower like they did the wedding, and boy, was it a spectacular event. All our friends were there to enjoy it with us, and no one said it was a drag - not even Shikamaru and his son, though I wouldn't be surprised that they were saying it to themselves, complaining over the most trivial things.

Who else was there? None other than old lady Tsunade who was going to deliver the baby, along with her assistant Shizune. It was picture perfect.

As the season neared the end, we got to work on what we would affectionately refer to as the "baby suite". Should the kids decide to stay with us, the baby would have a place to sleep. Except we ended up having to construct one outside Sarada's old room, and Itachi ended up taking care of that on his end, since I'd handled the baby shower.

We also ended up having everything that was expected in pregnancy: limb soreness, back aches, mood swings - which lessened as time went on - and even cravings. Was Sarada _work_ or what? She had to also take time off in the final trimester as a result, staying with us while her husband ended up going out to Tokyo regarding brand new software hook-ups.

But then one night when the sun went down, I found Sarada in a foul mood. She'd just spoken to Boruto on the phone, and it ended up being something I hadn't heard in months but dreaded - and it looked like it could be a reality, after all.

"It could have waited until he got home, but I guess it would have been too late then," she told me as I brought her calming roasted tea. "I left work today, and my boss came up to me to tell me what a great job I am doing. Said I had as much promise as anyone she's hired since she's been at the firm. Also, she's been selected to pick one person on the floor who will be part of a team to design a brand new museum of art in _Osaka._ I LOVE Osaka as much as Kyoto!"

She was really happy about this, and I was thrilled for her, since this was a once in a lifetime opportunity - but besides knowing the possibility of moving there, I had a feeling this was where her new disagreement with Boruto was coming in. And so she affirmed, saying she needed to be there after the baby was born...by _September._

"I knew it was a possibility one day when they hired me, and so did Boruto. I told him over the phone, and I think I could hear his face dropping without seeing it. I mean, I told him that this was Osaka, not Mars. We could make things work. He said career-wise, it was great for me, but with the baby coming, he thought I wouldn't want to go."

You know, part of my brain thought that, too, but hello, this wasn't the fifties and prior where the husband expected the wife to take a backseat to his career. This reminded me, once again, of the mistaken belief about the blender he got her as an anniversary gift. _But if we could resolve that, we can do it here. _

Sarada finished. "He said that he didn't mean it like that, but that with the baby coming, it was a crazy time to move, and that we should think of you guys. Moving so far away would be hard on everyone, especially when you are around strangers in another city."

So, she came to me, because I always told her to follow her dreams, and that meant she was conflicted about this. I ended up deciding that she should go, because an airplane trip was hardly a trouble. This wasn't the feudal times or the dark ages. We would still see each other.

Which meant a speakerphone call to settle it with Boruto, who admitted what an idiot he was to open his mouth this way. He'd be able to work at Osaka as much as she would. This was nothing to resent anyone over.

~o~

The pain in my gut began to return as I realized how close it was getting to the due date. Looking up at the mostly completed baby's room in its wooden plank stage started it.

Now summer came. It was maybe the hottest season that Konoha had seen in half a century. An extremely pregnant daughter began to include massaging her back, turning the house into one hell of an igloo, and it meant she'd be due any day.

Each night, we'd end up laying our clothes out so that we could jump at the sound of the alarm like firefighters. I even mapped out possible routes to make it as quickly as possible to the hospital. Naruto, Hinata and Himawari would be on alert as much as us.

Though, in the final week - my birthday come and gone, reminding me how old I really was - we were plagued with false alarms that always seemed like the real deal each time, and sleep was lost mostly on my part. Poor Sakura also was threatened with insomnia, since she had needles to stick into patients' arms and prescribe medication. Itachi, on the other hand, was more alert than I was, apparently.

Really, I was close to getting into a car accident each time I went to work and then came back home with Sakura and myself.

Thank God the nursery was completed on time, and words could not describe how refreshing it was. The walls were painted with a maple and pine scenery, mountains and different blossoms in rainbow hues - since we had no idea if this was a boy or girl coming - and so many toys were amazing! I couldn't get enough of that maple rocking chair which was the very same one Sarada used to be rocked in...

I really tried to sleep at work, but then again, I reminded myself it could be any minute...and it turned out that, the day before the real due date, it _finally happened. _

_Sarada's going to have her baby tonight!_

I was going to be a grandfather that night.

~o~

We were greeted with one hell of a surprise that no one saw coming: Sarada gave birth to _twins._

The sooner Boruto got the call that his wife was in labor, he hopped on the next plane ride and managed to make it in time, arriving when the next morning was midway before noon.

My worries started to increase, since two babies would make things challenging enough, but Sakura's words slapped me in the face, since things were different than they used to be. Their parents had great jobs and wouldn't waste time on trivial things they didn't really need, and those thoughts were gone as soon as I saw both babies with my wife - a happy new grandmother who couldn't stop crying into my shoulder - my brother who went on saying that he had _two _to spoil now, Himawari unable to stop saying that she was an aunt before she graduated high school, which left Naruto and Hinata laughing and fawning over their new _grandson and granddaughter_. "I never thought we'd have TWO!" Boruto said, taking one into his arms, which was the boy.

I ended up holding the girl - _my granddaughter. _Black hair and blue eyes, and it was hard to tell which parent she resembled to the face. Her brother was blond, though he didn't open his eyes yet.

"Congratulations, Grandpa," Shizune told me when she let the infant in my arms go, letting me get lost in those blue orbs that peered at me curiously and dazedly in the first few moments.

_Grandpa. _Now things were no longer scary, and from then on, if some new surprise came my way, I was done panicking, because this was life.

Who would have thought that _Haruto_ and _Makoto_ would both come, and end up in my arms after everyone else had their turns, before they'd be taken off to be cared for, leaving their mom to be looked after? She was doing well, and weeping heavily because she was glad it was over, but more importantly, her kids were doing great.

A week later, both of them got to go home at last. They'd all be with us for almost a month before their parents would finally be ready to leave for Osaka. It seemed a month went by so fast.

Boruto had already said goodbye to his parents and sister, Sarada with him and having their children to "say" the same thing to one set of grandparents and an aunt - which left us: the other grandparents _and _a great-uncle, the latter making Itachi laugh and state that he was blessed the day came. But it was still sad to say goodbye...for now.

Looking at both grandkids, it was a joy to see equal amounts of both parents - half Uzumaki, half Uchiha. Makoto somewhat named for her great-grandmother, Haruto somewhat after one grandfather, and his eyes were black on his other grandfather's side. Now this was the last time for a while to see them both. "You two better call us when you land!" Sakura told the happy lovebirds before they got into the rental from the airport. Laughing and rubbing her eyes, Sarada promised her mom they would.

Watching the car drive off with all four of them, I wrapped my arm around my wife, and the other around my big brother, staying with them both for a while longer before we walked up the driveway to head back into the house for what we all did best.

The heavy weight of worry not what it used to be, I knew that life couldn't get much better than this.

**First time I had main characters had twins born, and Haruto ("sun flying") and Makoto ("sincere") were perfect variations of the ones they were named for. :D**

**This chapter is short enough to cover the entire second movie - but longer than its predecessors - so please review after enjoying! :D**


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